A Secretory Flame
by Cambria07
Summary: Kira moves to a new school and finds friendship in Yusuke and his pals. But what about Hiei? Why does she feel the strange need to fight with him all the time? Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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"Beep…Beep…Beep…" It was the sound of the alarm clock again, and Kira knew what that meant. She turned over and slammed her fist down on the expensive clock, which had been her most recent steal, turning it off. Today would be her first day at the new high school since she had been kicked out of the last, and she was dreading it as much as ever.  
  
This had been her life -- running from place-to-place, getting kicked out of every school she came in contact with. Even before her mother died, it was really hard. She had never knew her father, and her mother never talked about him. She loved her mother, but she had always seemed so distant. When she had died, Kira had been left on her own, except for her cat, Benji, to fend for herself. She found that stealing and cheating were comforts, and that it was very easy to argue. It was particularly hard to find places to stay, though. She had come upon this particular hut while in the woods one day. She had fixed it up rather nicely, with stolen weapons and such, and decided to live there, since she knew that no one ever came into that part of the forest. Yes, everything was just great…  
  
Kira got to her feet, stretching, her long brown hair falling in her face. She was started when she felt something brush against her ankles. She looked down to find Benji mewing up at her affectionately.  
  
"Come here, you," she said, bending over and taking the small Siamese-looking cat in her arms. She looked out the window as she nuzzled the kitten's small face and gave a large sigh. She really dreaded going to this new school. She knew it would just be that same all over again. She would be at the school for a few weeks, beat up a few guys, and then get expelled after they went home crying to their mommies. It always went this way, and she knew this one would be no exception.  
  
The thought of staying home crossed Kira's mind more than once while she was getting dressed. Of course, the thought was all to welcoming, since she felt rather ill this morning. She looked down at her dress after she had pulled her shirt over her head. She was wearing all black, as usual, all except for the red band around the waist of her pants. She liked this color. She had always been drawn to it, though she was not quite sure why, and it fit her mood perfectly this morning.  
  
After finally deciding she had to go to school, she picked her bag up from the floor and made her way out the door. It wasn't that she enjoyed school; she despised it, in fact. She had just always found fights at school and, for some odd reason, had enjoyed them.  
  
Kira stopped and shivered as she thought of the last guy she had beaten. For some reason, she had lost control and nearly killed the poor fool. He was sent to the hospital and that was the last she had seen of him. She remembered the feeling that had overcome her while fighting him. It was like there was another presence within her - one that had set out to kill. It had struck her as strange, but, somehow, it had felt…well, good.  
  
Kira's train of thought was interrupted by yet another small mew from behind her. She turned to look at Benji, and smiled when she found his large eyes staring pleadingly at her.  
  
"Sorry, Benj," she said, laughing slightly when the small cat inclined his head in confusion. "You can't come with me this time. You'll just have to stay here until I get back." The kitten gave a final disappointed cry and dragged back into the hut as Kira began her journey to the city.  
  
As she made her trek through the thick forest, Kira felt as if she was being watched by someone. At one point, she stopped and jerked her head toward the treetops, searching for the source of the foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach. That was impossible, she reminded herself. There was no way anyone could be here. This was a forest of legend that held great secrets, and there were very few who dared to venture into it, let alone this far.   
  
When Kira took in the deep scent of burnt clothing, she shook the feeling off as just being anxious and continued until she reached a busy street. She looked around at all the cars and people and felt a huge knot form in her stomach. She hated the city. She would much rather live in seclusion, away from people and the buzz of traffic. Large crowds made her nervous and she simply despised the smell of gasoline and garbage.  
  
As she continued to walk along a sidewalk, Kira felt a hand around her waist and could distinctly hear a whistle from behind her. Grownling, she tried to turn to see what kind of rude, obnoxious being was holding her, but a strong arm kept her in place.  
  
"Well, well, well," she heard the deep voice the man behind her say. "Looky what we have here, fellas. This one's a beauty, she is." Kira heard the laughter of other men, and felt the heat of anger flee to her face.  
  
"Bastard," she said as she elbowed her captor where the sun doesn't shine. (-) The man let go of her and she turned around just as he stumbled and fell to his knees, all the while holding his midsection. She smirked as she watched the other two run over to comfort him as he groaned in pain.  
  
"You bitch," the smaller one stated as they stood and closed in on her. Kira simply stood where she was. Yes, this was going to be great. She had been waiting for a good fight for a long time now, and these jerk-offs may have been the ones to give her exactly what she wanted.  
  
"Hey, you!" _'Who dares?' _Kira thought to herself as she turned to see the person who had just interrupted her newest confrontation.

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Well, how'd everyone like it? This is my first YYH fanfic and I'm really nervous. I hope you guys enjoy it, though. More chapters coming soon! Please R&R!

Okay, so I changed some of it now, and I hope it sounds _at least_ a little better. Hopefully, I'll be writing a little better in later chapters...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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"You sure look tough," Kira heard the stupid-sounding voice say. "Trying to pick on a girl. Why don't you try someone your own size?" She turned to see a boy around her age towering over her, glaring at the men she was trying to fight with. He had strange red hair and the stupidest looking face and ugly blue uniform Kira had ever seen. She simply stood there, looking up at him, until he finally smiled down at her.  
  
"Go ahead," he said as he looked back at the other men. "I'll take care of these jerks." Kira didn't know what to say. Who was this guy anyways, thinking he could just come around and play the hero?  
  
"Erm…" she started when she looked down at the stolen watch on her wrist. _'Oh, no!'_ she thought to herself. _'I'm going to be late on my first day!'_ "Um…thanks, mate!" she exclaimed as she ran off in the direction of the school. 

The bell rang and all the students took their seats. They all got out their history books and turned toward the teacher at the front of the classroom, listening attentively. Not everyone was paying attention, though. One boy was staring out the window in a dream-like state.  
  
"Yusuke," he heard the person behind him whisper as the teacher ranted on about the Meiji era. Yusuke turned slightly in his seat to glance at Kurama's frowning face. He then looked around the room and saw his petite friend, Hiei, staring out the classrom door. He wondered why Hiei was staring out the door, looking rather distracted, because it seemed a bit out of character. When he continued to glance across the room, and found an empty chair where his other friend was supposed to be, he let out and impatient sigh.  
  
"Great," he frowned. "The one day_ I_ show up to class on time that _stupid baka_ has to--"  
  
Just then, the door burst open, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. Most of the students nearly jumped out of their seat and the teacher looked absolutely infuriated.  
  
"You're late," he grumbled as the tiny girl who had just burst through the door smiled nervously and handed him a piece of paper. "Oh, yes. Students, please welcome Yomimoto Kira. She will, _hopefully_, be joining us in class for the rest of the year." The girl glanced nervously around the room, and Yusuke could do nothing but stare at her in awe. She was not like a lot of the other girls he had seen. In fact, she looked rather boyish and was even shorter than Hiei. He then caught sight of Hiei, who was gaping, open-mouthed, at the young girl. "Yes, well, you may have a seat right over there." The gazes of all people in the class followed her as she took a seat on the far end of the room, closest to the window. Many of the students still watched as she tapped her fingers on her desk, but were soon back to listening to the lesson.  
  
The person who was still staring at her, after everyone had buried their faces in thier books, was Hiei. He found her simply fascinating. She was beautiful, and somehow so familiar. Hiei prodded his brain, trying to figure out what it was about this girl that had him so drawn to her. Was it…no, it couldn't be. Not here…could it?  
  
"Kurama," he whispered across the room to the red-haired boy who was twirling a rose in his fingers bemusedly. He stopped and looked in Hiei's direction. When he was sure he had Kurama's attention, Hiei mouthed three simple words: "She's the one."  
  
Kira glanced over across the room to the boy who had been watching her since she had walked into the room. She found him rather…interesting. He was dressed in all black - much like herself - and had jet black hair that was, amazingly, standing on end. He was now talking to a boy with red hair and a rose in his hand. She saw him say something , and was confused when he looked at her. What did he mean, "she's the one?"  
  
_'Kill him.'_ Kira sat bolt upright in her seat. Where had that come from?  
  
_'Kill him,'_ the voice echoed in her head again, sending shivers down her spine. _'Kill Hiei!'  
_  
"Who's Hiei?" she questioned, wondering if she was going insane. Before she could receive an answer, the classroom door had flung open and everyone had gone silent.

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Whew...okay. So, was that one any better? Please tell me....Please? Okay, you don't have to...but I'll be happy if you do! 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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"Well, Kuwabara," the teacher said, glaring at the baka who had just entered the room. "So glad you could join us." There was a sounding of sniggers and whispers from all over the room as Kazuma Kuwabara made his way to his seat.  
  
"What was it this time?" Yusuke asked, irritated at Kuwabara. "Did your mommy make you stay home again?"  
  
"For your information, Urameshi," Kuwabara said as he finally took his seat. "I was busy helping a poor lady by taking care those Toguro jerks."  
  
"Hey," Kira whispered, poking Kuwabara, who had taken a seat in front of her, on the shoulder. "You asshole. I could've handled that myself. I just didn't want to be late." Kuwabara's eyes lit up when he saw Kira and he turned, smirking to Yusuke.  
  
"See, Urameshi?" he said in an excited voice. "This is the girl I was helping! You can ask her!" Yusuke's face turned a bright shade of red as he stood up out of his seat.  
  
"NO, BAKA! I SWEAR! YOU'RE ALWAYS MAKING EXCUSES!" Kira could see a vein popping on Yusuke's forehead and flinched as spit sprayed across her desk.  
  
"Actually," she started, feeling bad for the stupid Kuwabara. "He _was_ helping me this morning. Those guys were all over me." She saw Yusuke's shoulders relax a bit at this, but he still did not sit down.  
  
"Now, now, Yusuke," the teacher stated timidly, not wanting to push the boy any further. "Please sit down. I don't think you'd like to make another trip to the office now, would you?"  
  
"ACTUALLY, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD LIKE!" he exclaimed, storming out the door of the classroom. Everyone just sat there, awestruck as the teacher fell into his seat, flabbergasted.  
  
"Yusuke!" A girl sitting in the row next to Kira stood and followed him out the door. Kira saw the boy with black hair glance around the room and finally get up and move out the door as well. She sighed, following him with her eyes as the teacher tried his best to continue with the lesson.  
  
"Please, just leave me alone, Keiko." Keiko stopped in her tracks, her eyes filled with tears, and turned in the opposite direction. Yusuke did not expect her to give up so easily, and was slightly disappointed when he saw she had left.  
  
"What's wrong?" Hiei questioned as he passed Keiko. She stopped and looked at him, tears now rolling down her cheeks and onto the floor. What had Yusuke said to her this time? When she continued walking, so did Hiei, in the direction Yusuke had gone. When Hiei found him, Yusuke was sitting with his face in his hands.  
  
"What do you want, Hiei?" Yusuke snapped when Hiei stood in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
"What was all that back there?" came the emotionless reply. Yusuke looked up to find Hiei's face, void of emotion, staring down at him. Since when did _Hiei _care? He had expected him to be the last of his friends to follow him out of the classroom.  
  
"Well…I…" Yusuke didn't know how to explain what had happened. It seemed as if he had just been growing more and more impatient all the time…with everybody.  
  
"Look," Hiei interrupted his train of thought. "The real reason I followed you is…" Hiei paused for a moment. Could he really trust Yusuke to understand what he was about to say? Yusuke wasn't exactly the quickest to figure things out, but maybe he could, seeing as Yusuke knew of his powers as a fire apparition. He had also told Yusuke of the story before. He couldn't have forgotten, could he?  
  
"Yeah?" Yusuke was looking up at him impatiently, tapping his fingers. Hiei decided he should just tell him the truth. After all, it was all for the best in the end…  
  
"The girl. The new one," Hiei began, showing none of the emotions that were going through his mind. He continued when Yusuke nodded at him. "Well, she…she's the one. The one I've been telling you about." Yusuke's expression told Hiei he knew exactly what he was talking about.  
  
"The one who will break the curse?" Yusuke questioned, getting to his feet.  
  
"Yes," replied Hiei, now looking up at his friend. "You see, she is no ordinary human girl. She is a fire apparition, like me; or partially, at least. I could sense her presence even before she reached the school this morning."  
  
"Well," Yusuke scratched his head almost sleepily. "You think she knows who you are?"  
  
"No. I doubt she even knows who _she_ is yet." Hiei thought back to the nervous look on the girl's face when she had walked into the classroom. She didn't exactly look like the kind he knew she was. He reckoned she had no idea of the demon spirit that resided inside her.  
  
"So," He was called back to the present by the sound of Yusuke's neutral voice. He questioned his friend with his eyes before sighing and continuing to speak. "When should we take her to Koenma?" Hiei thought of what Yusuke said. Would she agree to come with them? Even if she didn't, he knew what he would do. He would force her.  
  
"How about this evening, after school?" Yusuke paused for a moment before answering, looking as if he were contemplating something.  
  
"Right," he finally answered. "I'll tell Kuwabara, Kurama, and Botan. See you then?"  
  
"Of course," Hiei said as he watched Urameshi walk away and out the door. He felt as if a huge weight had just been lifted from him shoulders. Tonight would be the night that everything changed. It would be the beginning of the end of his torture, which he had endured for far too long.

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...hehe...hehe...oh, the possibilities...hehe...OK, what? Oh, sorry ADD just kicked in, yet again, and I haven't taken my medication yet(and I'm being serious...not joking!), so I don't know when I'll put the next chapter up. Anyways, sorry if you're actually into this...which I doubt many people are...  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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Kira sighed as she walked slowly up the steps on the front of the hut. Today had been a long day. Ever since that boy had left the classroom, she hadn't been able to think of anything but fighting, and didn't know why. She had only felt that way once before, and the feeling was something she never wanted to relive.  
  
'He is the enemy,' the voice had said to her as he had left. She remembered thinking how he could be her enemy when she had only just seen him that morning. There was something about him, though, that gave her that feeling in her chest, right above her heart that made her squirm where she now sat on one of the cushiony seats when she thought about it.  
  
"Oh, Benji," she sighed as the cat came and sat in her lap. "I don't know what to do. What is my brain trying to tell me?" Kira stiffened as she felt a wave of heat course through her body.  
  
_'Someone is here.'_ she heard the voice she had heard earlier resound in her head. She unwillingly put Benji in the floor and stood to her feet.  
  
_'Wait,'_ she said to herself as her feet moved toward the door. _'How do I know someone's out there?' _She had been having strange sensations like this the entire day. It was almost as if she had a sixth sense, and the rest of her senses had magnified greatly.  
  
Before going out the door, she reached for the wall, grabbing one of the many katanas that hung there. What kind of person - or thing - would travel this deep into the forest? It must be something very evil…  
  
As she thought this, there was a loud roar from behind her that made her jump and turn quickly. Out from behind the hut came a gigantic beast that was enveloped with fire and had deep blue glowing eyes. Kira's eyes widened as the beast stepped closer and closer.  
  
_'It's a demon!'_ her mind screamed as she tried to steady herself and tried her best not to look scared. She raised her katana high over her head and stared the demon in the eyes, ready for the attack. 

-------------------------

"I see you're busy again, as usual." Koenma jumped when he heard the emotionless voice behind him speak. He turned from the hand-held game he had been playing to find a petite fire apparition standing in front of him.  
  
"Ah, Hiei," he said, smiling at his friend. He followed Hiei's gaze to what he held in his hands and blushed, throwing the toy to the side. "Those things are simply fascinating, don't you think?"  
  
"Hn," was all that escaped Hiei's lips and Koenma tried to hid his flushing cheeks. "Yes. Well, as you may know, I am not here for small talk. We have a very important matter to discuss."  
  
"Oh, yes, of course. You're speaking of the girl, Kira, I presume? Well, I've already sent Yusuke, Kurama, Botan, and Kuwabara to retrieve her so--"  
  
"That's not exactly what I had in mind." Hiei cut Koenma off in mid-sentence and shoved his hands into his pockets. He watched as Koenma's eyes went wide and his complexion became very pasty all of a sudden.  
  
"You're not…you can't…I…there's no way…You know it's never worked before!" Hiei simply crossed his arms over his chest and met Koenma's eyes with his own crimson gaze.  
  
"It's true that the ritual has never worked before this time, but we never had her before. She is the key. She will be the one to break my curse."  
  
"NO! YOU CAN'T! DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LAST 'SUBJECT' YOU USED FOR THE RITUAL?!" Hiei snorted irritably. He had thought Koenma, of all people, would understand where he was coming from.  
  
"Yes, but you said yourself, and I could sense her power. She is the one. She is not like the others. She is strong enough for this. She will survive it!" Hiei saw Koenma's eyes soften a bit and was secretly relieved when he sat back down in the seat he had left in his rage.  
  
"Well, of course she would survive it. After all, she is…I still say no! It wouldn't fair for her. You wouldn't want to hurt her, would you? Well, would you?!"  
  
"No, of course not." Hiei remembered the feeling he had had when she had walked into the classroom. He had been fighting the urge to jump her right then and take her into his keep. He remembered the pull of her fiery spirit on his and how good it felt just to look at her…  
--------------------  
"Benji?!" Kira was surprised when the gigantic flaming demon had lost its fiery qualities and turned into the small kitten she had been caring for. She blinked her eyes a few times as the kitten cuddled against her legs.  
  
"What…" Before she could finish her sentence, the cat had turned back into the huge fire demon and was growling towards a patch of trees. Kira raised her katana once more and started toward the trees. She felt her heart beating faster and wondered why she felt so excited. Then she heard a familiar voice.  
  
"…Uh, yeah, sure does! OUCH! Urameshi, what was that for?!" (A/N: Sorry to all the Kuwabara fans! I just cant' resist! -) Before Kira realized what was going on, Benji had jumped into the trees and there was a resounding scream. Kira ran into the patch of trees and stopped when she saw Kuwabara under one of Benji's flaming paws and Yusuke, getting ready to shoot him. The boy called Suichi (though she had heard him called Kurama many times by his friends in class) was watching bemusedly as an unfamiliar girl with blue hair was raising an oar high over her head. When they all noticed she was there, they lowered their weapons, and Kuwabara kept screaming and squirming under the giant fire demon.  
  
"This your cat?" Yusuke asked, breaking the partial silence between all them. Kira hesitated, still holding the katana above her head. Why were they here?  
  
"Tell me why you're here," she demanded, mimicking he own thoughts. The girl with blue hair appeared in front of her, smiling from ear-to-ear.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, excitedly. "I'm Botan. Very nice to meet you, Kira. And this is--"  
  
"I know who they are. How do you know my name?" The girl continued smiling while shaking Kira's hand.  
  
"Oh, we know all about you in the spirit world, Kira. If you could just help us out, we'd be happy to explain everything."

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Hmm...wonder what this "ritual" thing could be?...I don't know yet, but I'll try my best to update as soon as I can! 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
"What? But…why?" That was all Kira could say as she sat with Benji in her lap, gaping at Botan. She couldn't believe this. What would any demon want with her?  
  
"Well, you see…" Botan looked as if she was trying to decide whether to explain further or not. Kira had found it very hard to believe she was the grim reaper, but had decided it was quite believable when Botan had floated in the air while sitting on an oar she had summoned. They had all told her their stories, and Kira was slightly taken aback when Suichi had explained Yoko Kurama to her. Her head was now swimming with all the knowledge she had gained when Yusuke broke the lingering silence.  
  
"Look, we're here on a mission," he said, standing to his feet so quickly, he knocked Kuwabara, who had been gaping at the walls, over on his side. "Can we please just get this over with _Botan?"  
_  
"Yes, I think it is wise that we leave as quickly as possible, Kira." Kurama said, this statement being met with what looked vaguely like a glare from Botan.  
  
"But…where are we going?" Kira questioned, skeptical of what was happening.  
  
"You'll see," Botan replied as she sliced her oar through the air, conjuring what looked like a portal to another world. Yusuke dragged Kuwabara to his feet and carried over to it, where he threw him in.  
  
"Well, don't just stand there." He turned to Kira, who gulped when she saw Kuwabara disappear. "We gotta get goin'. That toddler is waiting."  
  
_'Toddler?'_ Kira thought when she felt Yusuke grab her by the arm and pull in after him as he jumped. Everything was black inside the void, and Kira couldn't see anything. She started panicking when she felt that Yusuke's grip was now gone from her arm.  
  
"Yusuke?" she said, feeling al around her as she fell. There was no answer. "_Yusuke_!" She kept calling his name, feeling her hart beating faster and faster when she suddenly was standing in a long hall.  
  
"Oops!" Kira looked up at the person who had bumped into her and saw a pink creature with a horn sticking out of its forehead looking down at her. "Excuse me." he said politely as he walked around her. Kira sighed as she started tiptoeing through a large crowd of similar creatures who all acted as if she wasn't even there.  
  
_'Where am I?'_ she thought as she tried to make her way down the crowded hall. Then she froze as she felt a familiar heat wave course through her body.  
  
_'He's here,'_ she heard the all too familiar voice ring in her head when her feet started moving again._ 'You must find him…you must destroy Hiei!'  
_  
"Hey!" She shook her head as she heard Yusuke's voice and started searching for him in the crowd. She finally found him standing off in the distance with a frown on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. She smiled and waved and started running toward the end of the hall where he was currently located.  
  
"What took you so long?" he asked when she finally reached his side. She shrugged as her gaze was lifted above his head. They were standing in front of a gigantic door that almost reached the extremely high ceilings.   
  
"Everybody's waiting," he said again when he saw the look on her face. The huge door opened and Yusuke smiled and winked at Kira before stepping through it and into a monstrous room. She followed him in and saw Botan, Kurama, and Kuwabara standing in front of a desk stacked with papers, and conversing.  
  
"Ah, Kira! How nice it is to finally see you!" Kira heard the voice coming from behind the desk, but could not see its owner. Everyone stopped talking and looked in her direction. She glanced around the room, still searching for the owner of the voice that had just greeted her when Yusuke interrupted the silence again.  
  
"She can't see you behind all those stupid papers, toddler." he said rudely in the direction of the desk. There was another moment of silence and a sigh from behind the desk.  
  
"Yes, well…I suppose…I don't want to confuse her too much…but…what will she say…if she sees me like this?…" the voice mumbled. There was another sigh and a popping noise that made Kira jump, ever so slight as it was.  
  
"As I said before," came a voice from behind the papers. Was it the same one? Kira couldn't tell. "It's very nice to see you, lady Kira." Kira gasped. Out from behind the desk stepped a handsome young man who ran his fingers through his hair before looking in Kira's direction.  
  
_'Huh?!'_ Kira thought, trying to decide whether to be surprised or amused. _'Is that a…_binky?' The man walked closer to Kira and bowed deeply.  
  
"I am the great Koenma, ruler of th--"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Everyone looked in Yusuke's direction when he interrupted. "Toddler, why don't you just give up? You look stupid enough with that thing sticking out of your mouth." Kira blinked, confused. This couldn't be the 'toddler' Yusuke had been talking about. That guy looked nothing like a baby. Then again…  
  
"Oh…fine!" Koenma said, sighing again. There was another popping noise and it looked as if he had vanished. Kira looked down and saw a tiny child staring up at her. He had a large blue hat and the same pacifier as the other man.  
  
"I know what you're thinking," the child said in a tiny voice. "Koenma - the great ruler of the spirit realm - a toddler. Big change, huh? But I assure you, miss, I am no…"  
  
"You're so cute!" Everyone around Kira dropped to the floor (anime style!) when she bent down to pinch Koenma's cheeks.  
  
"Please! I…oh…that…feels…good…" Koenma trailed off as Kira rubbed the back of his neck.  
------------------  
"Beautiful, isn't she?" Hiei turned when he heard the voice, glaring when he saw the beautiful demon standing in front of him.  
  
_"What do you want?"_ he demanded telepathically, wrapping the headband that covered the third eye around his forehead.  
  
"You know perfectly well what I want," she replied, wrapping her arms seductively around his neck. Hiei shoved her away and turned back to the door to Koenma's chamber. "When the curse is broken, you can have anything you want."  
  
_"Oh, really?"_ Hiei snorted, shoving her hand away when it crept around his waist. He could feel her laugh behind him, and was relieved when he felt her turn away.  
  
"Oh, too bad…you won't let me have any fun. Oh, well. Until next time, my love." With a gust of icy wind, the demon mistress was gone, leaving tiny snowflakes in her path.

* * *

Sorry it took so long to update. My friggin' POS computer was being an ass this morning and I had to go back and delete a bunch o stuff before it would let me on here. Anyways, I hope this was a good chapter! Buh-bye!

**Rin:** Why didn't you tell me u were leaving?...anyways...um...okay...BYE!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
"And so, you see, you must allow us to protect you." After almost half an hour of petting Koenma, Kira had finally got bored and decided to let him speak. She was now sitting in the floor, looking up at him where he sat at his desk.  
  
"You still haven't told me why these demons are after Me," she said, still wanting to question him further. Everyone had been telling her about this horrible ice demon, Tsuko, and her vast hoards, but had never hinted at what she wanted with Kira.  
  
"You posses great power," Kurama, who was now sitting beside her, stated. He threw his red hair back, taking in a deep breath. "Those powers, combined with those of another being such as yourself, are what is needed to defeat Tsuko and bring all evil to its knees."  
  
"Oh…" Kira was still confused. What were these 'powers' Kurama spoke of? She had always thought herself rather normal, aside form her obsession with theft and weaponry. "How do you know all this, anyways? You're only a teenager."  
  
"Well, let's just say I her voices -- or _a_ voice, for that matter." Kira looked at Kurama with confusion filling her face. Then she remembered what he had told her about Yoko.  
  
"Oh," she said, wondering if this 'demon' actually resided inside Suichi Minamino's human body. She looked from the smile on his thin lips to his pretty green eyes that were fixed on her. He certainly looked normal enough. Was there really a sly fox hiding behind those beautiful eyes of his?  
  
"Yusuke, Kira will stay at your place until we train her properly." Koenma turned to Yusuke, who was leaning against a wall, staring into space. Kira looked up and saw him lock eyes with her. She gasped when his dark gaze met hers.  
  
"Pssh…whatever, toddler." was all he said, still keeping his eyes on Kira, who was now blushing madly, though she knew not why. She felt nothing toward the rude teen, but he somehow had this effect on her.  
  
"That won't be necessary." Everyone's gaze turned to a shadowed corner where a boy steeping out with his hands shoved into his pockets.  
  
"Um…Oh, Hiei! It's nice to…um…see you here, but…may I ask why you have graced us with your presence?" Koenma shifted uneasily in his seat as the boy stepped nearer to where Kira was sitting. It was the boy from class. The one who had caught her attention when she had first stepped in the door.  
  
"I think you know why, Koenma," he said, looking down at Kira momentarily. When Koenma did not answer, Hiei cleared his throat and looked at Yusuke. "I think it would be best if the girl stayed with me. I am, after all, best suited for the job of training her. I hear you're quite obsessed with sword fighting." he added, looking down at Kira again. She nodded, still gaping at him.  
  
"Heh…fine with me," Yusuke said, turning to go out the door. "She's probably as stubborn as you and Kuwabara, anyway." There was a loud crash and Yusuke was now on the floor with Kira standing over him, fists raised.  
  
"What was that for!?" he exclaimed rubbing the large bump on his head that was slowly becoming visible through his black hair. Kira turned and walked back over to Kurama, who was now getting to his feet.  
  
"I will pick you up from your place in exactly three days." Hiei said, acting as if nothing had happened. Kira looked back at him, forgetting about Yusuke for a moment. Something told her that this boy was not ordinary by any means.   
  
_'Kill Hiei!'_ Kira jumped, falling over and taking Kurama down with her. She landed on top of him, but didn't notice because of the voice that was louder than ever.  
  
_'Is this Hiei?'_ she thought, looking at the boy from her position in the arms of Kurama. He looked back at her with an eyebrow raised. Kira looked into his crimson eyes and suddenly felt very lightheaded. She kept her eyes on him as it started getting black around her and the voice kept echoing in her head.  
  
_'You must defeat him!'_ Everything was now dark and Kira couldn't see anything. Then, in the distance, she saw a small fire that seemed to be getting closer. _'Kill Hiei!'_ The voice would not leave her be, and the flame was now sitting in front of her. She reached out to touch it. It seemed so beautiful that it couldn't hurt her when she did this.  
  
"But…the fire…" she heard her voice, which seemed distant and unfamiliar. Her fingers made contact with the flame and she felt a jolt that made her jump.   
  
Now she could see. She was back at the hut where she lived and Benji was sitting in her lap. She looked down and found her fingertips resting on the kitten. Then she looked up and saw a small fire sitting in the middle of the room with a figure resting beside it on the wall. She stood up from the bed and walked closer.  
  
"Kurama?"  
  
"Oh, you're finally awake!" came the soft voice that she recognized as Suichi Minamino's. She took a seat beside him and stared down at the wood in the floor.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You fainted," he said, looking up at her. There was something different about him, but Kira could not place it. He seemed…older? She couldn't quite find the right words to describe the change that had come over him.   
  
"O-Oh," she said, failing to stifle a yawn. She stood without another word and walked back to the bed where she fell and drifted into a sleep filled with dreams.  
  
--------------  
  
"Are you sure about this?" Koenma questioned after everyone else had left. Hiei stood with his arms crossed next to the door, and he seemed to be in deep thought.  
  
"Yes. I must carry this through if the curse is to be broken." He had been silent ever since the girl had been carried out in the arms of Kurama. Koenma was sure that it was because of that exact fact - her being carried in the arms of Kurama - that made Hiei go silent.  
  
"But--"  
  
"No. I've already made up my mind." Hiei looked up at Koenma before turning for the door. "I must do this."

* * *

Okay, sorry…that's all I'm gonna do with this chapter…my wrists are killing me! Anyways, anybody got a suggestion for a better name than 'Tsuko'? I just made that up at the last minute cuz I really needed to update. If you have a better name, please tell me! I'll try and find a better name in the meantime and try to come up with something for the 'ritual' that Hiei's gonna do…hehe…anyways…thanx to all you guys who sent in reviews! I really appreciate it, and I'm glad that at least somebody wants me to update! 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
Kira awoke the next morning to find that Kurama had left the hut. She had had a dreamless sleep, but still felt as if she could stay in bed for at least another four hours. She didn't know why she felt so tired, but could only guess that it had something to do with the bizarre vision she had had about the fire.  
  
She sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed, putting her feet down on the floor. When they didn't meet the wood, Kira looked down at the furry thing under her feet. Benji was sitting there, looking up at her expectantly. She smiled at him for a moment before jumping when she remembered something.  
  
"I have to go to school!" she screamed, quickly picking up the uniform she had been given the previous day. "I can't believe I forgot!" she thought out loud as she fixed her skirt on the way out the door. She almost sprinted through the woods to try and get to her destination. She didn't stop running when she got out on the street either. She kept bumping into angry people left and right until she heard a familiar voice and stopped.  
  
"Hey!" Kira turned to find Yusuke Urameshi standing inside the door of an arcade that was nearly abandoned except for a few teens that Kira guessed were all skipping classes today. She smiled at him nervously as he made his way smoothly over to her.  
  
"What are you doing out this early?" he asked as he approached her side. "Kurama said you'd be probably be out for a while."  
  
"Well, um...Gotta go to class, don't I?" she replied, looking at him accusingly. Yusuke just looked at her innocently and reached up to scratch the side of his head.  
  
"I don't see why," he stated smoothly, looking down at her uniform. "Do you realize how funny you look in that thing?" Kira glanced up his casual attire, noticing that he wasn't wearing his uniform.  
  
"You look quite silly yourself, asshole." she retorted, reaching up and punching him hard in the arm. He glared at her and followed when she started walking again. "And why wouldn't I go to class?"  
  
"Well, today is Saturday." Yusuke smirked, laughing to himself at the face Kira made.  
  
Kira felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she stopped once again. She had forgotten all about the weekend. She grunted, kicking Yusuke in the shin when he started laughing at her. "Stop it."  
  
"Gods! And I thought that Kuwabara was a baka!" he said, finally catching his breath long enough to speak. Kira sighed as Yusuke continued his laughter and turned back toward the arcade.  
  
"Wanna go in?" she asked, turning back to Yusuke. He immediately stopped laughing and looked at her as if she had all of a sudden stripped naked and started running around the city. "I don't have anything better to do."  
  
"Oh!" he said, finally coming back to reality. He walked back to her side and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her inside as all the people around them stopped to look at the couple.

* * *

Hiei sat in the large library, his face buried in the book he was currently reading. He flipped quickly through the pages, looking for what he had been trying to find for the past four hours.  
  
'Aha!' he exclaimed mentally, finally stopping on the page he had been searching for. 'Now, let's see...'  
  
Hiei traced his finger down the page and found the passage written there.  
  
'The Pyro is a powerful being that has immense power. Its mere beauty is enough to bring the strongest of heroes to their knees. With its ability to create vast amounts of fire upon will, the Pyro rarely meets its match. Appearing to many as a beautiful young woman accompanied by a gigantic flaming panther, the Pyro may not discover its power until its life is threatened or it is provoked by evil. When this occurs, the aggressor may find themselves in the spirit world soon enough.'  
  
Hiei looked down the page and found a picture of a great flaming being with glowing eyes that was shaped like a woman.  
  
'Hn,' he thought to himself, closing the book. 'That's her, alright. She has the power to break this horrid curse and restore me. But if Tsuko were to gain her trust...'  
  
"Did I hear someone thinking about me?" Hiei rolled his eyes and sighed as he felt the familiar arms wrap around his neck. "You know you love me." He felt Tsuko's icy cold breath on his neck and stood.  
  
"Why are you here?" he said, his back still turned to her, choosing to speak rather than use his power.  
  
"Oh, I think you know," she replied, wrapping her arms around him again. He grabbed her hands, pushing them away.  
  
"Can't we stop these foolish games? We're not children." Hiei could feel her frowning and was surprised when she didn't try to put her arms around him again.  
  
"I know how you truly feel about me, Hiei dear," she said, still frowning. "I can feel your eyes watching me." With that, Hiei felt her presence disappear from behind him.  
  
When she left, he sat back down in his seat. He didn't know what she had done to him, but he suddenly felt the extreme need to visit Kira.  
  
'What's happening to you, Hiei?' he asked himself as he stood and walked out into the sunny exterior of the library.

* * *

Okay, okay! Finally, I've updated! But the next few updates will be few and far between...sorry, school's started back and I have homework practically every night (AP US History = go figure). Sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm trying my best! 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"I can't believe it! This makes the fourth time in less than a week!" Kira flinched as Keiko's voice came hurtling toward her from somewhere inside the arcade. Yusuke turned and faced her, resting on one of the large machines, when she came into view.

"Yeah, tell me about it," he retorted, glancing at Kira. "She's beat me twelve times already this morning!"

"Don't try to change the subject, you--you…" she screamed at him before deciding to slap him hard across the face.

"OW! What was that for?!" Kira gaped as she watched the spot Yusuke was now rubbing quickly turn a bright hue of red.

"You know exactly what _that_ was for! How can you keep standing me up like this?! Whatever happened to '_Ooh, Keiko! _I love you _sooo_ much! I'd do _anything_ for you!?'" It was Yusuke's turn to gape at her impression of him. Keiko looked almost as if she was about to cry, while still giving him the death glare.

"Erm…maybe I should leave…" Kira started, knowing that this was something they needed to take care of on their own. She reached the door and glanced back to see Yusuke with his hands on Keiko's shoulders while tears fell from her eyes, dropping to the floor. In a way, she felt bad about leaving them when she was sure they both needed comforting.

Kira stepped outside the arcade and began to walk down the long street once more. She looked around at all the smiling people walking by her, none of them seeming to be in much of a hurry. She guessed that it was because of the day being Saturday…She giggled to herself when she thought about what had happened just that morning.

As she walked, the foreboding feeling she had felt in her stomach just the day before while she was in the forest came back to her. She stopped and glanced around, vigilantly, the smell of burnt clothing returning to her nose once again.

'_Why do I feel as if someone is watching me?'_ Almost as if in reply, the wind around Kira picked up and she felt herself being tugged about by it. _'It's freezing!'_ As soon as this thought occurred, the air suddenly became hot and, though the wind around her was fierce, she felt herself sweating. Her eyes shut tightly as she tried her best to keep herself in place where she was.

Kira never noticed the man coming around the corner. He had noticed her predicament and ran over to her

"Are you okay?!" His voice was no more than a whisper to Kira as the whirling wind around her started to make her dizzy. _"Are you…okay…"_

She felt herself slip into darkness once more as the wind subsided. After a few moments, everything was black again…

Hiei turned the corner quickly. He had to find her. Even his lightning speed movements were not fast enough for him as he ran toward the spot where he had sensed her.

He turned another corner and was hit by a blast of heat. He stopped, looking around for the source of the extreme heat that he knew could come from only one thing. Then he found what he was looking for: a flaming woman with glowing blue eyes.

'_No! Not yet!'_ Hiei watched in agony as the human beside the Pyro fell to the ground, mangled by the scorching heat of its blade. The emotionless being then turned to its next victim…Hiei. Hiei's hands unconsciously formed fists at his sides and he felt himself growling deep in his throat. He didn't understand why he was feeling this way. He could only guess it was instinct that was driving him.

The eyes of the Pyro were intense. Hiei felt as if they were burning him from the inside out…

* * *

Okay, so this chapter isn't actually finished yet…I just thought I'd post, since I finally got my computer back and I've been getting some feedback, soo…..If you guys have any suggestions for the rest of this chapter, PLEEEAAASE tell me! I can't figure out an ending…to this chapter, anyway. After I finish this chapter, I think everything else will come easier. Much thanks, Olivia J. 


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